International Plastics Expo To Be Held In Most Visited Destination In The US

Orlando, FL , the city selected as the site for NPE2012, has been rated the most-visited destination in the U.S. and is the first to host more than 50 million visitors annually, it was announced recently by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, which produces the triennial NPE international plastics exposition. NPE2012 will take place April 1-5, 2012 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando.

Statistics released last week by the marketing organization Visit Orlando also indicate growth from 2006 to 2010 in the popularity of the Orlando metropolitan area as a destination for leisure and business travel.

"While SPI's decision to move NPE2012 from the longtime NPE venue in Chicago was based primarily on substantial economic and logistical advantages for exhibitors and visitors, the new information from Visit Orlando confirms our belief that the wealth of vacation and leisure attractions in Orlando will provide an exciting added benefit for many NPE2012 participants," said Gene Sanders, SPI senior vice president of trade shows and conferences.

The top rating achieved by Orlando is based on domestic statistics developed by D.K. Shifflet & Associates, Ltd., a travel research firm, and on international travel data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The total number of visitors to Orlando in 2010 amounted to 51.4 million, reflecting an increase of 10.5% over the previous year. The share accounted for by business travel (including trade shows and meetings) increased by 2% to 9.5 million. International travel, totaling 3.7 million visitors, was up by 12.6%.

Orlando has responded to this growth by adding 3,648 hotel rooms since 2008, bringing the total to 115,119 rooms, according to Visit Orlando.

SOURCE: SPI